The Five-Minute Marriage (15 page)

“
But I do not—
”
began Miss Carteret. Then she pulled herself up, and said,

“
Very well! I shall do that!
”
and ran angrily down the stairs.

Delphie, who, after a short pause, followed her down, saw with relief that she had quitted the Baggotts
’
establishment (both sisters gazed after her with admiring but disappointed looks) just before Mrs. Carteret entered it. They did, indeed, pass one another on the pavement, and Delphie observed the other Miss Carteret pause and check, as if taking careful stock of her rival
’
s parent.

Then she walked swiftly away.

“
Really I do not know what can be the cause,
”
said Mrs. Carteret, upstairs, taking off her bonnet,
“
perhaps it is resulting from my illness—or just old age coming upon me!—but I seem to keep seeing faces that remind me of the past. Last week I thought I had seen the ghost of my cousin Gareth. And now today I observed a young lady whose face, for some reason, was an irresistible reminder of a period long gone by—though I cannot exactly call to mind
which
period, or of whom she reminded me—
”

“
Do you refer to the young lady in the blue and white, with the ribbons?
”
Delphie inquired.

“
Yes—how did you guess, my dear?
”

“
She has just been calling here. She said that
her
name was Carteret too,
”
Delphie cautiously divulged.

“
How very curious! Some cousin of your dear father
’
s?
Could
it be?
”
Mrs. Carteret was extremely perplexed.
“
For Richard was an only child, and so was his father—he had no Carteret cousins that I ever met. Yet stay—I believe there were some distant connections in the North—but they never came to London. What a singular occurrence! How I wish that I had been at home when the young lady was here. You should have persuaded her to stay a little longer, my child.
”

Delphie could not but be glad that she had not done so.
“
However, perhaps she may come again; or we could wait upon her,
”
Mrs. Carteret reflected.
“
Yes, that would be the civil thing to do. I wonder from what quarter she found out our direction? Perhaps from some of your great acquaintance, Philadelphia
—
perhaps from Lady Dalrymple. The Carterets are an exceedingly well-connected family—you have often heard me say so. They are cousins of the Cecils. If some Carteret cousins are come to town, it is
certainly
time that we gave our ball.
”

Delphie sighed, and suggested,
“
Let us postpone the ball for a few weeks yet, Mamma, until you are more completely restored to health and strength,
”
hoping, as she said so, that the acquisition of better health would cure her mother of these grandiose fancies.

“
Very well, if you think so, dear child; it is true that June is a better month for a ball
...
Where did you say Miss Carteret was residing? It will be proper to leave cards.
”

With some relief, Delphie was able to disclose to her mother that, unfortunately, Miss Carteret had omitted to leave her direction. Mrs. Carteret was very disappointed.

“
That was not well done in you, child, not to find out. But never mind. I will ask Mr. Browty when he comes again. By the by, Philadelphia, he has invited us for dinner in Russell Square, on Thursday next. He is all kindness—full of the most delicate and pleasing attentions.
”

Delphie wondered, rather sadly, how soon her mother would realize that these were the attentions of a suitor for her daughter
’
s hand; and what would her response be to them then? Would she consider Mr. Browty as an eligible parti? Or would she dismiss
him as she had a chemist
’
s assistant who four years ago had aspired to Delphie
’
s hand, with the comment that he was
“
well enough in some circles—but smelt of the shop—quite unsuitable for
my
daughter
,”
a verdict which had not perturbed Delphie, since she had heartily disliked the chemist
’
s assistant, who had very encroaching manners, a passion for pickled onions, and a repertoire of most objectionable songs. But Mr. Bowty was in quite a different category
...

“
I shall ask him about this other Miss Carteret next Thursday,
”
decided Delphie
’
s mother.
“
He is so clever and capable that he will know how to set about finding where she lives. I daresay it will be in some rented house.
”

There was no need for Mrs. Carteret to take this step, however, for on the next day a note arrived, addressed to Mrs. and Miss Carteret, inviting them to take tea with Miss Carteret, who lived, it seemed, in care of a Lady Bablock-Hythe, at an address in Brook Street.

Delphie was instantly suspicious of this invitation. She felt sure that no good would come of it, and if she could have found a means of dissuading Mrs. Carteret from accepting the invitation, she would have seized on it. But Mrs. Carteret was by no means to be dissuaded; she set to work immediately, furbishing up her bonnet with a fresh piece of satin, and, with Mrs. Andrews
’
s assistance, making herself a new sarcenet mantle.

Two days after that, a letter arrived for Delphie, in a crabbed and unfamiliar black hand.

“
Dear Ma
’
am
”
it said.
“
Circumstances have arisen which make it urgently necessary that I should speak with you privately. If it is not inconvenient to you
,
I should be glad to call at your house in Greek Street at two o
’
clock this afternoon
,
to take you driving in the Park.

Yours
,

Gareth Penistone
.
”

Ha! thought Delphie at once, Miss Carteret has tracked him down. (For she had had a shrewd suspicion that, at the time of her visit, Miss Carteret did not know where to find Mr. Penistone, though naturally she would not admit this.)

Now she has found him, and is constraining him to have his marriage dissolved, thought Delphie. Well, it is a very good thing. No doubt she will be able to exert a great deal of influence on him, and he will be obliged to accede to her wishes, and so he ought! I am sure
I
do not wish to be tied up in this odious, havey
-
cavey manner!

But she could not help feeling a little sorry for Mr. Penistone, and wondering that he should be willing to marry a lady who seemed so full of self-consequence, so lacking in kindliness or humor—particularly if he were so devoted to his poor little mistress in Curzon Street.

But it
’
s entirely his own affair, thought Delphie; no doubt it is all because he is in need of money—and I do not know why I should concern myself in the matter, after all! I shall be heartily glad to come to the end of it.

Fortunately she had no pupil at two. The day was cloudy, and had not been thought suitable for one of Mrs. Carteret
’
s excursions with Mr. Browty. Instead, Delphie
’
s mother was sitting by the fire, carefully trimming her sarcenet mantle. Delphie found no difficulty about stepping out, on the excuse of purchasing some fastenings for the mantle, and another reel of silk.

“
I shall be back in an hour
’
s time
,”
she promised.
“
Long before you have finished the silk that you have there.
”

“
An hour? It does not take an
hour
to buy a reel of silk! Why do you not procure it from the Baggotts?
”

Delphie said that she had one or two other commis
s
ions to execute, and escaped; she had seen Mr. Penistone, driving a rather old-looking curricle, pull up his horses in the street outside.

She arrived on the pavement just as he was about to give a boy a penny to hold his horses.

“
Which I am very glad not to do!
”
he said after greeting Delphie with a slightly constrained smile,
“
for the horses belong to my cousin Fitzjohn, and that was a most untrustworthy-looking urchin! Why is it that the boys who offer to mind one
’
s horses always resemble infant Dick Turpins?
”

“
Probably because that is what they are,
”
suggested Delphie as he helped her to a seat beside him. She added, as he gave the horses the office to start,
“
Do I understand, then, that your cousin Mr. Fitzjohn has also come to town?
”

“
Yes,
”
he replied, guiding the team carefully out into Oxford Street, where he allowed them to break into a collected trot; Delphie observed that he drove very well, with light but firm hands, keeping his horses well up to their bits, and managing his whip with grace and dexterity.
“
Yes, Fitz has come to town. Luckily for me! I cannot afford to keep a carriage in town—but he is always obliging about lending his. That is why I wished to see you. It is the most damnable thing—
”

What now? thought Delphie, studying his angry, perplexed face.

“
My uncle, it seems, is so much better that
he
now proposes to travel to town!
”
explained Mr. Penistone in tones of exasperation.
“
That is why Fitz is come up—he is busy opening up the town house in Hanover Square and making it ready. In two or three days, Great-uncle Mark threatens to be here!
”

“
Pray what have you to object to in that?
”
demanded Delphie.
“
I should rather have thought that it was cause for congratulation. He must indeed be amazingly improved in health if he dares to subject himself to the fatigue of traveling.
”

“
Why,
”
exclaimed Gareth irritably,
“
don
’
t you see—my uncle will expect to find us living together as man and wife! Indeed I should not be surprised if that is not why he is come—because he has always suspected that my regard for my cousin Elaine was not very great! And he has been right. Which was why I was in no haste to conclude the marriage. He wishes to make sure that the marriage was not a mere formality. The very first thing he does will be to come and call at my house in Curzon Street—and he will expect to find
you
there! And he will be inviting us to dinner in Hanover Square—he will be expecting to see us at assemblies—
”

“
Could you not say I was gone out of town?
”

“
We have no idea how long he is likely to stay. Mordred talked of his being in Hanover Square until the end of July! You could hardly be absent all that time!
”

“
No, I suppose I could not,
”
Delphie said reflectively.
“
Not supposing us so recently married—I believe newly married couples are expected to be very devoted.
”

Mr. Penistone gave her a sharp glance, which she returned with one of extreme innocence.

“
Well, then
,”
she said,
“
you
could go out of town. My uncle w
i
ll hardly wish to see me without you, considering his aversion for the female sex.
”

“
I am quite unable to leave town at present,
”
Gareth Penistone replied briefly.
“
I have many and pressing business affairs.
”

“
Oh! Well, in that case, I do not see what is to be done!
”
Delphie waited in tranquil silence while he guided his horses around the
corner
into Park Lane, and then, presently, through one of the entrances into Hyde Park. The team appeared to be a trifle fresh and resty, she noticed; which was odd if Mr. Fitzjohn had just brought them up to London. But perhaps he kept a stable in town as well as at Chase.

“
As I see it,
”
said Mr. Penistone in a tone of quiet decision, after he had driven some distance in the park,
“
As I see it, the only solution is for you to remove to my house in Curzon Street. And your mother too, of course,
”
he added, as Delphie gazed at him in total astonishment, for once quite at a loss.

“
To your
home?
in
Curzon
Street? But what—?
”

What about your mistress? she had almost said, but caught herself up just short of such a breach of propriety. Doubtless the mistress, poor thing, would be bundled out, obliged to decamp, until after the end of Lord Bollington
’
s visit. What a perfectly outrageous scheme! How could Mr. Penistone even have the gall to suggest it? Every feeling of decency and pride must be utterly exacerbated!

“
It falls out very conveniently,
”
he said,
“
for my tenant on the ground floor—who was a brother-officer of mine in the Peninsula
—
has just been ordered to join his regiment on the Continent, so the rooms are standing empty.
”

“
I could not possibly, in
any
circumstances, agree to such an arrangement!
”
Delphie said.

He looked at her with evident exasperation.

“
Why not, in the name of heaven? It would be altogether for your benefit—your mother
’
s too. The rooms are large—sunny—far superior to the close little cramped quarters you occupy at present. There would even be a garden for your mother to sit in!
I have thought it all out with the greatest care. You would have
—
you would have undisturbed occupancy of your apartments—it goes without saying—
”

“
Thank you!
”
said Delphie, with awful civility.

“
You could—you could continue giving music lessons there, if such is your wish; you could install your piano—
”

He really
has
thought it all out, marveled Delphie. Who would have expected such consideration from him?

“
Of course there would be no rent to pay—
”

“
I must repeat, sir, that it is quite out of the question.
”
No rent! she thought. Seventeen shillings a week saved.

“
Why
?
”
he demanded.

“
Why? If you do not immediately see why, I do not know how I am to explain it to you. There is a total want of delicacy—a lack of decorum—an absence of those nice scruples which must completely—
”

“
Fiddlestick!
”
he said, and added bluntly,
“
You did not appear to have so many nice scruples three weeks ago! If you can
marry
me, I do not see what there is to cavil at in living with me!
”

“
Sir!
”
uttered Delphie, inexpressibly shocked. Then she perceived that he was laughing at her.

“
Come, now!
”
he said.
“
You are not so affronted as you would have me believe. Pray consider! There are so many things to be said in favor of the arrangement.
”

“
Name them.
”

“
Your improved situation. Curzon Street is a far pleasanter neighborhood than Soho. A better address for your pupils. Closer to the park for your mother.
”

“
Even allowing that to be so—suppose we happen to prefer it in Greek Street?
”

“
It is impossible that you should!
”

“
Oh!
How can you be so arbitrary—so tyrannical—so utterly unreasonable—!
”

“
Come, consider!
”
he urged again, in a milder tone.
“
Am I
really
being so unreasonable? What is there to object to in the arrangement? I had even thought that, through it, we might
—
becom
e
known to each other;
become
friends?
”

Delphie was somewhat shaken by this argument, but said after a moment,

“
Well—it is deceitful, for one thing.
”

“
We are already embarked on a course of deceit.
”

“
Purely for
your
benefit.
”

“
No; not for mine,
”
he said.

“
For whose, then?
”

“
I should have to obtain permission before I could tell you that.
”

“
Well,
”
said Delphie,
“
I can tell you this
,
if you are asking me to remove myself to your house for the benefit of Miss Carteret, you are quite at fault, for I have taken her in extreme dislike! She is the most odiously insolent, overbearing, puffed-up dictatorial creature I have ever come across, and I think you two should deal extremely. Indeed, I can
’
t imagine why you haven
’
t been married to each other this age, so well suited as you are!
”

Mr. Penistone turned a face of utter astonishment and consternation.

“
Elaine
is in town? You mean to say that you have
seen
her? But—I thought that you did not know one another!
”

“
We do now,
”
said Delphie grimly.
“
And of all the—
”
Then she broke off, and exclaimed,

“
Mind your horses, Mr. Penistone!
”